All's Fair in Love and Randomness
by Mia M. Turner
Summary: Tawni and the cast of So Random aren't pleased to hear that Sonny and Chad are dating. Fortunately, Tawni knows exactly what to do to break them up. Chad/Sonny. Sort-of-Sequel to The Art of Subtle Flirting. Rated just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Hey guys! :) Thanks for the reviews on my last Sonny fic, the response has been overwhelming! I had a request or two to do more, and since my multi-chapter muse came for another visit, I thought I'd do a long story, so here's chappy one of who knows how many.

Yes, Sonny and Chad are together from the get-go in this, as it's a sort-of sequel to my first fic, The Art of Subtle Flirting. No prior knowledge from that fic is needed to read this, however.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sonny With a Chance. Or People Magazine for that matter.

"It's _sickening_. Absolutely nothing short of _sickening_."

Tawni paced the floor of the prop room, her hands balled into fists, muttering to herself.

"I think you're blowing this _way_ out of proportion..." Nico answered, staring at the tabloid in his hands. "I'll bet you anything that jerk knew the camera was around and grabbed her hand to make it _look_ like they were dating."

Tawni scoffed, and stormed over, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "Look at that, _right there!_", she screeched, pointing her finger accusingly at the picture. "She's smiling. She's not just smiling, she's... she's--"

She stopped herself there, wrinkling her nose in anger. No, 'in love' was _not _the right choice of words. Not in a million years.

"Easily photoshopped," Grady responded, waving off the comment.

Tawni stomped her foot and angrily snatched the magazine from Nico's hands. "This is unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!"

"If it's true, _yea_ it is," Nico said. "She can't date someone from Mackenzie Falls--"

"Not that!" Tawni interrupted. "She's not allowed to date hot guys! That's _my_ job!"

"Which would explain why you've got the boys falling all over you," Zora added sarcastically, just barely looking up from the book in her hands.

"Awh!" Tawni held her hand to her chest incredulously. "Fine, then. If you guys don't want to take this seriously, I'll find out for myself."

"Don't even," Zora answered, making a face. "You'll get us cancelled in a matter of minutes."

"No!" Tawni snapped. "Marshall won't stand for this! He'll agree with me! Maybe he'll even kick Sonny off the show and I can have the spotlight again!" She finished her sentence dramatically, sporting an award-winning smile.

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Would you _really_ want that Tawni?"

Tawni made a face of disgust and shook her head. "That's _not_ the point."

Grady rolled his eyes before speaking up. "Guys, we don't even know if it's true or not yet. Let's at least _talk_ to them first."

"She'll lie!" Tawni shrieked, her face turning red. "They'll both lie! This is Chad Dylan Jerkface we're talking about! He won't tell the truth and Sonny certainly won't!"

Grady smirked, placing a hand on Tawni's shoulder. "Leave it all to us."

"Don't touch me."

"Right..." he answered, quickly withdrawing his hand.

---

"I can't see!"

"That's because there's only one pair of binoculars."

"Is she there? Is that Sonny he's sitting with?"

"_Quiet_! You're going to get us all caught!"

The cast of So Random, minus Sonny, huddled around a single pair of binoculars, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of Chad and the girl he was currently sitting with.

"So? Is it her or not?" Tawni tapped her foot impatiently.

"Hold on, I can't see. If only she'd turn her head just a little bit more..." Nico answered.

Tawni threw her hands in the air and groaned in annoyance. A brief pause later, a dramatic gasp made her snap her head back in his direction. "What, what is it?!"

"That _is_ Sonny..." A second later, he thrust the binoculars into Grady's hands. "Oh my _god,_ and she's sitting on his _lap_!"

"WHAT? _SHUT UP!!_" Tawni yelled in disbelief, yanking the binoculars away.

She hurriedly adjusted the eyepieces and squinted to get a better look. "Oh my god, she _is!_" She stuck her tongue out in disgust. "What is _wrong_ with her?"

Zora rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Maybe, crazy I know, but maybe she's in _love_."

"Well then I hope she _loves_ getting a piece of my mind!" Tawni snapped before storming off. Nico and Grady glanced at each other nervously before following her.

---

Chad smiled as Sonny rested her forehead against his, staring into his eyes and biting her lower lip to hold in a giggle.

Chad smirked and rested his hands on her hips. "What's so funny?"

"Noooothing..." Sonny responded in a sing-song tone. "I was just thinking about how I don't see you smile all that often. You _smirk_ all the time, but I never see you smile." Chad raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why is that funny?"

It was Sonny's turn to smirk. "Because you're a big softy. It's cute."

Chad stuck his tongue out in mock disgust. "And you're gross. Most girls our age opt for being 'sexy', but no. You just had to go for the 'disgustingly sweet' angle, didn't you?"

Sonny laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Well since a 'sexy' girl would never go for a jerk like you, I guess you'll have to settle for me."

Chad chuckled a bit at this and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Sonny let out a contented sigh as he pulled her closer to him with his other arm. She placed a hand on his shoulder for balance, swinging her legs back and forth, closing her eyes, and reveling in the rare moment of privacy between the two.

That is, until, a scream echoed off the walls.

"_SONNY MUNROE, I'LL KILL YOU!_"

Sonny hung her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. She immediately recognized the source of the voice as Tawni. Chad looked surprised for a brief moment as the cast of his rival show approached, but he quickly replaced his shocked expression with an annoyed one.

"Uh, excuse me, Mackenzie Falls is a closed set. Back to Chuckle City with you."

Tawni ignored him, walking straight up to Sonny. She whacked her shoulder with all the strength she could muster.

"Get _off_ his lap before you disgrace us even more than you already have. NOW!"

Sonny glared at her before standing up.

"What are you doing here? I told you I'd be back when lunch was over."

Tawni threw her hands up, clearly flustered. "You didn't tell us you were going to have lunch at Mackenzie Falls!"

"Exactly," Sonny replied, folding her arms over her chest. "So why are you here?"

"It wasn't hard to find you, Sonny. Everyone knows you're seeing Chad; look!" Tawni thrusted a copy of People into her hands.

"_What?!" _The couple yelled in unison, looking down at the cover.

And there stood the bold headline: "Chad Dylan Cooper seen with _So Random_'s Sonny Munroe; Is love in the air?", accompanied by a picture of two holding hands that took up the entire cover. Sonny's cheeks burned in embarrassment.

"This -- is _not_ good..." Chad mumbled. "Now everyone's gonna think I would actually date someone like _you_."

Sonny narrowed her eyes and looked up at him. "That's because you _are_."

Chad held his hands up defensively. "I'm _just_ saying."

"Oh, would you two like to be alone?" Tawni smiled, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Sonny turned to face her fellow cast members.

"And _you_... I thought you guys cared about me. This is a _huge_ breach in trust..."

Tawni sighed impatiently, clearly unmoved. "We're trying to _help_ you, Sonny. We can't let you fall into this... this airhead's trap."

"Ouch," came the monotone response from Chad. "That hurt, kind of."

Tawni scoffed at him, turning back to Sonny.

"You can't date a guy from Mackenzie Falls. It's not happening."

Sonny's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Oh _really_? And you have the authority to make that decision?"

Tawni smiled perhaps the most evil smile Sonny had seen in her life. "No, I don't. I know who does though."

And with that, Tawni turned on her heel, striding out of the room.

Sonny stared after her, soon turning to her cast mates in pure disbelief.

"... Guys?"

Nico, Grady, and Zora looked nervously around the room... Anywhere but directly at Sonny.

"S-See, the thing is, Sonny..." Grady began, "W-We kind of agree with her."

Sonny's eyes widened, her mouth screwing up as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. As she watched her friends turn around to go follow Tawni, she felt tears well up in her eyes.

Chad, in a rare instance of concern, rushed over, pulling her into a hug. He held her tighter when she began letting her tears flow freely.

"Hey, hey... It's okay... Listen Sonny, it's gonna be fine." Chad rocked her gently back and forth in an effort to calm her down. Sonny clung tight to the lapels of his blazer and caught a few deep breaths. His words didn't make her feel any better though. Because Sonny knew Tawni.

And Tawni always got what she wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for the alerts, favs, reviews, etc. I've got a TON of alerts and favs but not quite as many reviews. And I'm not gonna beg, but I am just gonna remind everyone that I appreciate feedback and such just so ya know :)

I dunno, I didn't mean to rush this chapter, but it feels quick to me anyway. Let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

**EDIT**: Oooh, I let SO MANY errors slip into this one. That would be why I'm reposting this chapter. Grammar and spelling flaws are fixed. Sorry guys! How embaressing...

---

The hum of the ceiling fan seemed louder than usual. Sonny felt her palms getting sweaty as she balled her fists tightly in her lap. She blinked a few times, willing herself not to cry again or show any sign of weakness. It was difficult not to buckle under the pressure though, when Marshall was drumming his fingers on his desk, staring at her as though she were a kid in a principal's office.

"So... You wanna explain this to me?", he asked, gesturing towards the magazine on his desk. Sonny folded her arms, speaking quietly.

"There's nothing to explain." Sonny focused on a spot on the wall next to him, refusing to look him in the eyes.

"Sonny, listen... You knew what was going to come with this spot on the show, and with that comes a certain degree of responsibility--"

"How is getting caught holding hands with another star _irresponsible_?" she asked incredulously , now looking directly at him.

Marshall sighed. "Have you _read_ the article, Sonny?", he asked, pushing it in her direction. Sonny raised an eyebrow, picking it up from the table and flipping to the article. The farther she read, the wider her eyes became. Finally, she slammed the magazine back down on the desk.

"I don't _believe_ you're falling for the _lies_ written in here. Partying? Drinking? _Really_? The person who wrote this article didn't get that from an 'anonymous source'," she made air quotes for emphasis. "They made it up because they couldn't think of how dating Chad suddenly made me a 'bad girl' as this article so tastefully calls it."

Marshall rubbed his temples, clearly getting flustered. "Hear me out, Sonny... I don't believe anything written in that article. You're a good girl, I know that.... _However..._"

"Ooh, there's always a however," Sonny groaned, resting her forehead on her hands.

"Who you're seen around _is_ going to make people assume what kind of person you are... And Chad--"

"What?" Sonny interrupted, now sounding angry. "Chad's a _bad person_? Is that what you're about to say?"

"I'm _only_ saying he has a reputation for..." he looked up, searching for the right word that wouldn't offend her. "Being... n-not as 'wholesome' as you."

Sonny shook her head. "That's ridiculous."

"That's show business," he responded apologetically.

"So... what point are you trying to get at here?", she finally asked after a brief pause.

"Sonny... All this bad publicity... it's not good--"

"Cut to the chase?", she interrupted.

"...I don't think you should see Chad anymore."

Sonny shut her eyes tight. She knew it was coming, but somehow she still wasn't prepared to hear it. A stray tear made it's way down her cheek before she opened her eyes again and spoke.

"And if I don't?"

Marshall sighed again.

"I'd have to have to kick you off the show."

---

Chad knocked gently on Tawni and Sonny's dressing room door. There was a brief pause before Tawni answered the door. She looked particularly pleased with herself, he noted. He made a face at her as though she were an insect.

"I'm here to talk to Sonny."

Tawni shrugged and walked out, giving them their privacy. "Suit yourself."

Chad rolled his eyes and walked in, closing the door behind him. "So, how'd it go?"

Sonny stared forward, ignoring him. It was clear she'd been crying. Chad walked over and sat down next to her.

"Man... Is Tawni being a crazy bitch this week or _what_?"

Sonny sniffed, still not saying a word. Chad furrowed his eyebrows, admittedly getting a little angry.

"_Sonny_--"

"I'm breaking up with you." she interrupted, hiding her face in her hands, crying quietly. Chad looked shocked for a moment but quickly shook it off.

"Yea, cute. Maybe no one told you, but nobody breaks up with _Chad Dylan Cooper_," he told her with a smirk.

"You're really not taking me seriously, are you?" she answered. "I'm being serious; It's _over_."

Suddenly, Chad didn't look so smug. In fact, it was the first time Sonny had ever seen him look...

Scared?

"...You're serious?"

Sonny sniffled and wiped her eyes again. "I'm dead serious." She turned her head away from him, unable to look at his face anymore. The fact that she was the only one to ever make Chad upset enough to show it on his face was too much for her.

"Sonny--" he paused to clear his throat when his voice cracked. "I-I don't get it; _why_? What did he say to you?"

Sonny wiped her eyes. "N-Nothing... It's just... I-I don't love you." Chad made a face that Sonny couldn't decide was disbelieving or worried.

"I don't believe that..." he answered quietly. Sonny put a hand on her stomach, now feeling sick. God, why did he have to sound so... _heartbroken_?

"Well it's true. I don't love you anymore, so--"

"Sonny, come on..." Chad scooted closer to her and pulled her into a hug, running his fingers through her hair. Sonny took in a deep breath. She knew if she let him keep going, she wouldn't have the strength or the heart to do what she'd set out to do. So she did the only thing she could think of.

"I _HATE_ YOU!", she yelled, pulling herself out of his arms and heading for the door. She looked directly at the floor, refusing to see what look could possibly be on his face at the moment. "I mean it, I don't love you anymore, so just... Don't talk to me again," she muttered, hurrying out of the room.

Chad stared after her, determined not to show any sign of emotion. That is, until he heard the sound of her footsteps fade away into silence. He leaned forward, resting his hands in his head, letting out a loud sigh. He blinked a few times, clearly trying to hold tears back. Because even if no one was looking, Chad Dylan Cooper did _not_ cry.

Tawni, however, who was still secretly watching from outside the room, knew he wanted to.

The thought made her smirk.

---

**A/N: **I can't tell you how depressing writing this chapter was :P


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Alright, I tried to make this story as stand-alone as possible, but I couldn't do it with this chap. Please at least skim The Art of Subtle Flirting if you haven't yet, or you'll be confused for a brief moment here.

Thanks again for everyone's reviews, favs, and alerts. I'm proud to announce that Chad's creepy flirting style has made a comeback in this chapter ;)

---

"There, there Sonny. You did the right thing!"

Tawni patted Sonny's back as she cried into her shoulder, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"If you'd told him that Marshall wouldn't let you two see each other, you know he'd try to meet you in secret and just get you in trouble."

Sonny sniffed and clung tightly to Tawni's sleeve. "I don't think I made the right choice, Tawni..."

Tawni grimaced. "Sure you did. If you left the show, you'd be letting us all down!"

"I might be letting you all down anyway," Sonny muttered. "We're supposed to be shooting tomorrow, and when I feel this down--"

"Pull it together, then!" Tawni stomped her foot, determined to get through to her. "You can't ruin this for the rest of us. That's not fair!"

Sonny sniffled. "Y-You're right... I'm sorry Tawni. I-I'll pull it together."

Tawni smirked, pleased that she'd successfully taken advantage of Sonny's selflessness. "Good. See you tomorrow then!"

Sonny sighed deeply as she watched Tawni walk down the hall. A minute or so later, she heard the door close, indicating she had left. Sonny took this opportunity to lean forward and let out the tears she'd been holding back all afternoon. She inhaled deeply as the last of the automatic lights went off, leaving her in the dull glow of the emergency lights. She wiped her eyes, lifting up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. She started off towards the door, willing herself not to think about the last time she'd walked this hall once everyone had gone home.

It was difficult to keep her mind off the subject, however, when she could so clearly hear his footsteps in her head.

_Rather_ clearly actually... It almost sounded real.

Sonny sighed when she realized it.

They _were_ real.

She quickened her pace, feeling an overwhelming sense of de ja vu. No, they were _not_ going to play this game again. Not when she'd already told him she wanted nothing to do with him.

She was a bit more determined to get away this time than she was the few short weeks before, so she didn't bother building speed. She took off for the door as fast as she could. Somehow, he was still quicker than her, though.

Except this time, he didn't gently guide her to wall.

He full-out _pinned_ her against it.

Sonny shut her eyes tight, refusing to acknowledge or look at him. She squirmed and wiggled with as much strength as she could muster, determined to get away.

"Let _go of me!!_"

Chad kept his grip on her shoulders. "Sonny... _SONNY_, calm _down!_ Sheesh, you act like I'm robbing you or something."

Sonny turned her head to the side, focusing on a spot on the floor. "Leave me alone, Chad. I'm going home..."

Chad bit his lower lip, clearly trying to hold an outburst in.

"We need to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about!" Sonny snapped, still refusing to look at him. "I hate you!"

Chad took her chin in his hand, turning her head towards him. She closed her eyes, willing herself to not let him win. She couldn't help opening them in shock and staring directly at him though, when he asked a question she hadn't been prepared for.

"_Why_?"

Sonny's eyes filled up with unshed tears once again. "I... I just... I don't--"

Sonny hesitated under the intense stare he was giving her.

"Sonny, if you're not going to tell the truth, don't bother saying anything at all."

Sonny sighed in relief. "Fine then, I won't. Now let me go."

Chad chuckled. Sonny was admittedly a bit surprised to hear that. "If I did that, you wouldn't tell me what's going on, would you?"

Sonny frowned. "There's no 'why' about it. Sometimes people just fall out of love, and that's what happened here. I just _don't _love you anymore."

'Don't give in...' she thought to herself. 'Don't let him turn on that charm...'

"...Do you Sonny? Do you REALLY?"

The usual smooth, collected tone of his voice caused Sonny's knees to buckle slightly. Chad was quick to catch her and hoist her back up.

"What was _that_?"

Sonny blushed. "Nothing... i-it was nothing..."

Chad smirked. "You still love me."

"I do _not_!", she snapped, looking away from him. "Do _not_ put words in my mouth." No words were necessary, though. Chad only raised an eyebrow and continued staring at her. Sonny finally sighed deeply, her expression softening. "If I tell you... Can I trust you to not try and fix it?"

"Cross my heart," Chad answered, with absolutely no intention of keeping his promise. Sonny gave him a weak smile though, easily accepting his lie. Chad was, after all, a great actor.

"Alright, well... My manager saw the article and--"

"Oh, where that stupid writer said an 'anonymous source' caught us drinking and clubbing?" Chad rolled his eyes. "Sonny _tell_ me he wasn't stupid enough to believe all the bull that girl was slinging."

Sonny shook her head, folding her arms over her chest. "No, he didn't. He did, however, tell me that _you_ were probably the one who earned me that reputation--"

Chad scoffed dramatically. "You kick _one puppy_ and suddenly you're a super-villain."

Sonny narrowed her eyes. "Are you going to let me finish?" Chad sighed and gestured for her to continue. "He told me not to see you anymore. Said the publicity wasn't good for the studio and that he'd kick me off the show if we were caught together again."

Chad sighed again and ran a hand through Sonny's hair. She shivered in response. "Sonny... Why didn't you just tell me?"

Sonny sniffled, resting her head on his chest. "Because I _know_ you, and I knew you weren't going to stand for that. And--"

"Sonny, I know Chuckle City's important to you. _Why_ I'll never know, but it is."

Sonny smiled. "Y-Yes it is... B-But I don't want you to think it's more important than _you_, it's just... I can't let my friends down."

"You don't always have to be the nice girl, you know." Chad muttered. Sonny glared at him. "Okay okay, I can see why you'd want to. I don't get why we can't just see each other in secret though--"

"You see? See that? That's _exactly _why I didn't want to tell you. I _knew_ you'd say that. It's not a good idea, Chad. We're going to get caught. And then they'll kick us _both_ off our shows."

Chad laughed. "I doubt it. It would hardly be Mackenzie Falls without Mackenzie." Sonny rolled her eyes.

"Fine then. I'll get kicked off _my_ show. That better, drama king?"

"I love it when you try to pretend you're not head-over-heels for me." Chad said smugly. Sonny raised an eyebrow at him. "It's okay Sonny, I have that effect on people. Bask in my awesomeness, I'm used to it."

Sonny growled under her breath. "You're not taking this seriously at all are you? L-Listen, we're done talking here. I did what I had to do; I told you I still loved you and now you can see why we can't be together anymore. Goodbye, Chad." Sonny turned and made a beeline for the exit. She nearly fell backwards when a strong hand wrapped around her arm.

Sonny gasped as she stumbled. "_Chad!_" she spat, hitting the hand that was holding her as hard as she could as he dragged her towards the door. "What do you think you're _doing_?"

"What do you _think _ I'm doing, Sonny?"

She glared at him angrily. "I dunno about Hollywood, but in Wisconsin we call this _kidnapping_."

Chad shrugged as though it were no big deal. "So I'm kidnapping you then."

Sonny tugged in an effort to get her arm free. "You're really _not _taking me seriously! I could lose my job, Chad! I'll be letting all my friends down!"

Chad continued walking her outside as they spoke. "Technically if I made you go against your will, they can't fire you."

Sonny clenched her fists in anger. "Chad, I swear to God--"

"Shh," Chad interrupted, pushing her into the passenger seat of his car. "It's not a kidnapping if you participate."

**A/N**: Every time you push the lovely review button below, an angel gets its wings.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks as always for everyone's reviews, favs, alerts, etc. I appreciate it! Sorry for the shortness of this one; it's a sort of a "bridge" chapter if you will, necessary to get us to the next part of the story.

Warning: Severe Channy fluff ahead ;)

---

Sonny held a blanket tightly around her shoulders, sitting on the couch, scowling.

Chad entered seconds later, handing her a cup of coffee. Sonny muttered her thanks and took a quick sip. He sat down next her, as close as he could possibly get. Sonny only sighed. He frowned; it wasn't exactly the reaction he was looking for.

"_Sooo..._"

Sonny shrugged. "So?" She tugged on the end of her blanket, shivering slightly. Chad put his hands on her shoulders, running them up and down her arms.

"Cold?"

Sonny glared up at him. "_No_ Chad. I'm really not," she answered sarcastically.

Chad shrugged. "You were sweating in the car."

"That's because I was nervous."

"Nervous that you've never been in a car with a boy before, or nervous that I was 'kidnapping' you?", he asked with a smirk.

"Nervous that you were-- _Hold_ on. How do you know I've never been in a car with a boy before?"

Chad pulled her a little closer. "I figured as much."

Sonny rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm not gonna let you turn on that charm, Chad. I'm just going to remind you that we can't see each other anymore and tell you to let me leave."

Chad shrugged again. "What's stopping you? Door's right there."

Sonny frowned. "The fact that I don't have a way to get home."

"Oh _right_," Chad responded, as though he hadn't already thought of this. Sonny grimaced.

"You're _well_ aware how much you're frustrating me, aren't you?"

"And loving every minute of it." Chad answered.

Sonny rested her chin in her hand. An awkward silence followed. "So... Where are your parents?" Sonny piped up in an attempt to make conversation.

Chad waved her question off. "Out of the country. Nothing new." Sonny shifted slightly.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not," Chad reassured her. "Seems like perfect timing, if you ask me."

Sonny blinked back a few tears. She wasn't sure where'd they had come from, to be completely honest. "Chad, stop it, seriously. I _know_ you're trying to make me fall for you again but... Y-You don't need to do that. I _still_ love you, I told you that, we just can't see each other anymo--"

Her sentence was cut off when Chad leaned in a gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"I'm not trying to get you to fall for me. Just enchant you enough to get you to drop the notion that we can't still see each other in secret."

Sonny blushed deeply. "Chad, I can't... I really can't..." Sonny's tears started falling freely, and she soon realized where they were coming from. She was getting _that_ much closer to agreeing with him, and the thought scared her.

Chad wiped her tears away with his thumb before pulling her into a hug. "Shh, Sonny. It's gonna be fine. I've got you."

Sonny sighed in defeat, realizing he'd won. The charm certainly almost caused her to buckle. But when he showed her genuine love and concern, _especially_ when she knew she was one of the privileged few who could evoke such emotions in him, she fell_ hard_. Every time, without fail.

Sonny smiled weakly and rested her head on his shoulder, absentmindedly fiddling with his tie.

"You planned this," she muttered.

Chad looked proud of himself. "Of course I did." Sonny nodded.

"Which episode was it, Chad?"

Chad furrowed his eyebrows. "What makes you think I got the idea from Mackenzie Falls?" Sonny only stared at him. "...13. Okay?"

Sonny smiled. "I may just have to watch that one. What happens after the psycho drama king drags the damsel in distress to his house?"

Chad returned the smile. "Well, he pulls her close, like this," Chad demonstrated by positioning his hands dangerously low on her back and pulling her body against his. "Then runs his finger along her jaw, like this... Then he leans in for the kiss," he leaned forward and gave her a deep kiss. "And then the beautiful princess agrees to keep seeing him." Sonny raised an eyebrow playfully.

"Oh, so suddenly she's a princess?"

"To him, she is."

Sonny blushed again. "Cue the princess melting into a pile of mush."

"Ah, looks like you've already had yourself a peek at the script."

Sonny giggled, playing along. "Yes, I have. After recuperating from Mackenzie's charm, the princess agrees to keep seeing him, because she loves him very deeply, and would do anything for him."

"Mackenzie tells her he loves her just as deeply, as he lovingly strokes the princess' cheek. Fade to black."

Sonny smiled sheepishly, holding his hand to her cheek. Chad rested his head on top of hers, running a hand up and down her arm. They stayed that way for several minutes before Sonny let out a long yawn. Without a word, Chad repositioned himself so she could lay down on him. She smiled, closing her eyes and soon drifting off to sleep. The sound of her breathing and the rhythm of her heartbeat against his soon put him to sleep as well.

The dull beep from Sonny's phone, reminding her to set her alarm to get into the studio the next day, went unnoticed.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** So this is the story that has the most alerts on it on my entire account, which is pretty cool! That's not saying much since I write mostly one-shots, but I'm happy to see people are enjoying this story.

Having said that, review and tell me that please ;) Love it, hate it, constructive criticism, it doesn't matter, just leave a review. (I'm especially open to ideas if you guys had something you wanted to see happen in this fic.)

Once again, I really appreciate everyone taking the time to read, review, lurk, all that jazz. When summer vacation starts and things slow down, I'll do my best to thank everyone personally.

I would like to credit the author of the poem Sonny uses in the fic, but unfortunately the poet is anonymous. But just so you know, I didn't write it.

On one last note, if there's an eppy that's said anything about Sonny's father, I've missed it. Just throwing that out there for this chapter. I tried asking ChaCha and he gave me a totally unrelated answer about Demi Levato, so, what are ya gonna do : /

Enjoy!

---

The repetitive pitter-patter of the rain against his living room was what finally made Chad's eyes open.

He stretched his arms out over his head, momentarily surprised by the feeling of something on his chest weighing him down. He looked down and smiled when he saw Sonny. He briefly considered waking her up, but decided against it, instead opting to watch her peacefully sleeping in his arms.

He eventually lifted a hand and gently stroked her hair. He held back a chuckle when a small smile formed on her lips. He leaned forward, placing a kiss on her head along the way, and whispered in her ear.

"I love you..."

Sonny giggled in her sleep, waving him away from her ear. It obviously tickled her. Chad smirked and leaned forward again, blowing gently into her ear. Sonny giggled profusely.

"Mmm, stop!" She opened one eye and looked around groggily before stretching her arms and legs out. Her eyes finally came to rest on Chad. "Hi..."

Chad held her a little tighter. "Hi to you too." Sonny blushed and looked away.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to, erm... fall asleep on you..." She started to get up, but Chad put his hands on her back, gently guiding her back down.

"You're fine. Stay."

Sonny blushed again, but laid her head back down on his shoulder. "This is nice..." She muttered. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She couldn't believe how... _perfectly _ she fit in his arms.

"It's nice that it's not hypothetical anymore," he responded. "I already knew from that fake date that you fit perfectly right here," he hugged her to demonstrate. Sonny smiled.

"Now how would you know that I fit perfectly when you weren't using your 'cuddling arm'?", she teased.

"I guess it was so right that it didn't matter which arm."

Sonny bit her lower lip and smiled.

"Stop doing that," he said.

Sonny looked taken aback for a moment.

"Stop doing what?"

"That... thing you do when you bite your lip. It's... sickeningly adorable." He made a face. Sonny seemed genuinely hurt by this. He sighed, running a hand up and down her back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out so..."

"So 'Chad'?", she interrupted. "It's fine. I wouldn't be seeing you if I weren't used to that." Chad stuck his tongue out at her, making her laugh. "I get it from my father," she continued. "It's a nervous tick of his."

"Boy, bet he's real proud of passing _that_ one on today."

Sonny made a face, albeit an unreadable one. "He's... erm, dead. But, uh..."

The smirk fell _right_ off his face. 'Insert foot in mouth, Chad Dylan. Way to go,' he thought to himself. "Oh... I'm sorry, Sonny... I-I didn't mean--"

Sonny shushed him by putting a finger to his lips. "You're fine. You didn't know." To his surprise, she was actually smiling again. "He was the one that started calling me Sonny. He'd always said Allison didn't do my 'bubbly' personality justice." Her voice got a bit quieter at this, but she still smiled. "Every night before I'd go to sleep, he'd pat my head and say 'My dearest little Sonny, you are a day brightener and heart warmer'. He liked the poem because he thought it went with my nickname really well..." She chuckled nervously, not realizing she was gripping his coat.

Chad wasn't entirely sure what to do to comfort her. He cleared his throat. "S-So, you live with your mom, right?" Chad mentally slapped himself silly, over and over. 'No, she lives with the Wizard of Oz. Of _course_ she lives with her mom... Stupid question, Chad. _Stupid._'

Sonny didn't seem to mind though. "Yes, I do. She's really nice. I'm pretty lucky." A short pause followed. "How about you?" She finally spoke again. "Do you and your parents get along?"

Chad shrugged. "What little time we have to get along, really." Sonny stayed quiet, expecting him to offer her a little more detail, but when she realized he wasn't going to give any, she tried to fish a little.

"They must be proud of you... Do they watch your show?"

"Maybe they've seen an episode or two, I guess." Sonny frowned. She was about to respond that her mother watched _every _episode she'd been in, but thought better of it. "People can love each other and still not be very close. Best way I can describe our relationship, I suppose." Sonny looked away from him, unsure of what to say. He sat up a bit, pulling her with him. "But it's fine. Guess that's why we have each other, huh?"

Sonny smiled sheepishly and looked back up at him. "Yes. Dad would approve," she said with a nod. Chad chuckled a bit, planting a quick kiss on her nose. Sonny tiredly laid her head back down on his chest, taking in the sound of his heartbeat.

The two stayed quiet for a few minutes before Sonny spoke up again. "Let's just stay right here. Like this. Forever."

"It would make going to the restroom _awfully_ difficult, don't you think?"

Sonny lightly whacked his arm. "I'd have some sort of witty response for that if I weren't shocked that the great Chad Dylan Cooper actually said something humorous."

Chad scoffed. "That wasn't humor, it was sarcasm, there's a big difference." Sonny giggled and shook her head. "In all seriousness though, I understand. I wouldn't make you get up at _all_ except that I have to be at the studio in a few hours..."

Sonny's smile faded into a worried expression. "Oh _no..._ What time is it?" Chad looked at her confused before glancing at the clock on the wall opposite to him.

"Almost noon..."

"_What?!_" Sonny reached over to her coat on the end table and dug through the pocket, pulling her cell phone out. Obviously she had somehow missed her alarm going off. "I was supposed to be at the studio an _hour_ ago..."

Chad shrugged. "So you're already late. Just don't go in today. Tell them you couldn't get in because of the rain."

Sonny shook her head. "It'll be obvious, Chad. They'll _know_ I was with you. I _have_ to go in..." Chad sighed in annoyance, and gently took her hands, hoping to charm his way out of this one, as usual.

"I wish you'd stay..."

Sonny raised an eyebrow before resting a hand on his shoulder and staring into his eyes. "If you really love me, you'll understand how important this is to me."

Chad seemed lost for a moment before answering her, albeit distantly. "Let's go put the top up then... I'll drive you there."

Sonny smiled, giving his nose a playful poke before grabbing her coat and opening door. Chad shook his head.

"Wait a second, did you just try to get me to agree with you be being _charming_?" Sonny only gave him an innocent smile. He frowned. "You can't do that. That's my job."

"I believe I just did." With that, she ran outside towards the car, giggling as Chad chased after her.

---

Tawni paced the floor of the prop room urgently, looking at the clock every so often.

"Would you _relax_?" Nico said. "If she doesn't show up, she doesn't show up. It's just a rehearsal day anyway. It's raining, she probably got stuck in traffic or something."

"She's _probably_ off with that egomaniac!", she answered. "I don't believe for one second that a little rain would stop her."

"But Marshall told her not to see him anymore... And we know Sonny's not exactly one for breaking the rules."

Tawni made a face. "_She's _ not, but Chad is! And knowing those two, he cold probably talk her into anything."

Zora rolled her eyes. "Remind me why we're supposed to care so much about what those two do?" Tawni glared back at her.

"Because the cast of So Random does _not_ date people from the cast of Mackenzie Falls! You all _agreed_ with that the first time those two met, remember?"

"The thing is though, Tawni--" Tawni growled under her breath, as though _daring _Grady to finish his sentence. He got the message easily, and slumped in his seat.

"Oh, I'll finish that sentence for him," Zora piped up, raising her hand. "_We_ don't get along with anyone over at the Falls. But if Sonny does, it shouldn't be any of our business."

Tawni frowned. "Where did _this_ come from all of the sudden? You all _agreed_ with me when I told Sonny she couldn't do this!"

Grady made a guilty face. "Well, we _do_ agree with you... But if Sonny wants to see him, nothing we do is gonna stop her. Might as well let it go."

Tawni clenched her fists. "No! It's not _right_, it's... it's..."

"Do you have a thing for Chad or something?" Zora interrupted. Tawni looked absolutely disgusted by this accusation.

"Ew, _no_. I could _never _be with someone who thinks they're better looking than me."

A collective groan fell over the room at this.

"Then what's the big deal?"

"To be fair," Nico put in, "we don't like that she's dating him either... Tawni, she's just, uh... more 'action-oriented' than us."

"Ah, action-oriented. Right, that's the term." Zora folded her arms. "It would certainly explain why Tawni told the photographer that someone saw them drinking."

Tawni's angry expression quickly turned to completely dumbstruck as Nico and Grady turned to look at her.

"H-How did you know that I--"

"Lucky guess," Zora answered, her voice dripping with venom. "The way you were freaking out over them, it wasn't hard to figure out."

Tawni suddenly felt an unpleasant sensation well up in her stomach. Her face felt hot and a mess of thoughts buzzed in her head. It must have only been a few seconds of silence, but it felt like an eternity.

"Tawni..." Nico sounded positively floored. "_You're_ the 'anonymous source'?"

Tawni opened and closed her mouth a few times. "I-- I just-- I mean I couldn't let them--"

"Do _what_, Tawni?" Zora asked. "Let someone else have the cover? Let the girl get the guy you didn't even want? Couldn't just _tell_ Sonny you were feeling threatened and talk it out?" She sighed and stormed out of the room without another word.

"That's _low_ Tawni, even for you." Nico added before following Zora out. Grady followed close behind. The unpleasant sensation in Tawni's stomach grew thicker.

"G-Guy's, wait, I didn't-- I wasn't trying to--" Tawni threw her hands up in defeat as they left. She blinked a few times, holding her arms to her stomach. After taking a few breaths and composing herself, Tawni turned around to leave.

She stopped dead in her tracks to see Sonny standing in the doorway with Chad not too far behind her. The look on Sonny's face was a mixture of hurt, betrayal, and confusion.

Tawni suddenly remembered what that unpleasant feeling was.

Remorse.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Sorry this took so long to get up, everyone! I had a very long week in San Diego where I tried to type a lot of this out and kept getting distracted by the waves outside the beach house ;) I tried to finish it again tonight during the new episode of Sonny and got even more distracted by the Channy fluff. It was the greatest eppy of Sonny ever, but I was pretty disappointed that there was still no kissing yet ;) But I digress.

Even though the fic is already rated, I finished this chapter feeling a little worried and felt I should reiterate up here in the AN: This fic is rated T and it's rated T for a reason. Things start getting a little less K+ in this chapter; having said that, I don't want to give anything away, so I'm going to leave it up to the reader's common sense about what a T rating insinuates.

Thanks again to my readers, reviewers, lurkers, etc. Please don't forget to leave a review! :) Comments, critiques, ideas, anything.

Enjoy!

---

Perhaps it was the fact that she'd seen for herself what effect her words had on her co-star. Perhaps it was the look on Sonny's face, or the cold stare Chad was giving her. Whatever it was, Tawni felt herself regretting her actions more and more with every second.

Sonny's expression was completely unreadable, at least to her.

It wasn't hard for Chad to read, however. Her jaw was dropped, he could see her bottom lip quivering slightly and her hands shaking. She seemed completely glued to her spot.

That is, until Chad gently guided her out of the way and made a beeline for Tawni. Sonny quickly shook it off and threw her arms around his waist, pulling back as hard as she could in en effort to keep him from moving forward.

"Chad, knock it _off!" _

Chad continued pulling against her. "_You..._ I can't believe you would actually..."

Tawni remained frozen in her spot in fear. "I-I... I'm sorry... I wasn't trying to ruin your reputation, I-I just wanted to--"

"Oh this has nothing to do with _me. _I really don't give a damn if you mess with _me_. But you got _Sonny_ in trouble."

Even Sonny was admittedly a bit terrified of the tone in Chad's voice. "Chad, i-it's _fine_..." She jumped a bit when Chad whirled around on her.

"It's _fine_?! She not only effectively ruined our reputations, but she's the reason we have to slink around together in secret!"

Tawni raised and eyebrow and folded her arms. "Oh, so you _are_ still seeing each other."

Chad turned to face Tawni again, this time getting mere inches from her face. "Why do you care?"

Tawni kept her scowl on her face, but Sonny could see a hint of fear in her eyes at the disturbingly quiet tone Chad was using.

Sonny, panicking, gripped his arm firmly. "Chad... Can Tawni and I have a moment alone, please?"

Chad continued glaring at Tawni for a moment before sighing shortly and storming out of the room without a word. Sonny gently closed the door after he exited and turned to face her castmate.

"Tawni I--"

"What was _that_?!" The fear seemed to have left Tawni and was replaced by anger.

Sonny put her hands on her hips. "He was trying to protect me, Tawni..."

"Oh, Hollywood bad boy can't handle a few gossipy words in a magazine? That's show business, Sonny."

Sonny shook her head. "Yeah, should have know. All that apologizing was fake, wasn't it? Were you just afraid of what Chad was going to do to you? Maybe I _should_ have let him go off on you," she snapped. Tawni just looked on in disbelief as Sonny went off. It was a side she'd never seen before, and she wasn't too fond of it so far. "I'm sorry you feel threatened by me." Her voice cracked, and Tawni realized that Sonny was starting to cry. "I'm sorry that you never wanted me here to begin with. I'm sorry that I came in and 'stepped on your game'. But if you hate me enough that you would ruin one of the best things that's ever happened to me, then... maybe you should just... stop talking to me for good."

With that, Sonny turned on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind her in the process. The faint sound of Sonny choking on her sobs and Chad quietly soothing her came from the other side of the door. Tawni slowly sat down and looked up at the large mirror on her desk.

For the first time in her life, she didn't like what she saw.

---

Sonny's crying had faded into light sniffles by the time Chad had walked her to his stage. Keeping one hand on her shoulder, he opened the door and gestured for her to enter first. Sonny looked skeptically up at him.

"You sure it's a good idea to be here? Won't your castmates be upset if they see us?"

Chad shrugged. "Everyone's at rehearsal right now."

"Why aren't _you_ there?"

"Well I _was_ headed in that direction until... Other things came up," he muttered. Sonny started sniffling again. Chad quickly ushered her inside and led her over to the couch, sitting down next to her. "I didn't mean that against you, Sonny. I would miss rehearsal in a heartbeat for you. That's all I was saying..."

Sonny chuckled dryly before scooting closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "So... why did you bring me here?"

Chad cautiously stroked her hair. "It's quiet in here... No chance of the Random's showing up. You know... this and that." Sonny giggled a bit at the blush that crept on his face. "Listen, that was a lot of crying for one day... Why don't I run to the cafeteria and get you a frozen yogurt? And maybe some water..."

Sonny smiled and nodded. "I think a fro-yo run is _exactly_ what I need right now." Chad squeezed her shoulder and stood up.

"I'll be back then."

Sonny sighed contently as she watched him leave the room. She leaned back on the navy blue cushions, getting comfortable. Chad was right; this was quite the place to relax. The pillows were soft, the room was nice and cool, the sound of the small fountain in the corner was wonderfully calming. She closed her eyes and slid into a lying position, feeling herself slowly drifting off to sleep.

The sound of the door opening nearly made her fall of the couch. She sat up quickly and listened for who was coming in. Chad couldn't possibly be back already, could he?

Panic welled up in her as she heard the cast of Mackenzie Falls chatting with each other as they entered the room. Either rehearsals had ended early, or they had an early start. She jumped to her feet, hoping to get out or at least hide before she was noticed.

"Sonny?"

No such luck.

Sonny slowly turned around to see who was addressing her. She cringed to see Portlyn staring back at her.

"What are you doing here?", she asked, her voice dripping with venom. Sonny swallowed nervously.

"I was... I-I was just..." Sonny nervously clenched her fists, unsure of what to say. She couldn't say Chad let her in, or she'd get him in trouble. But she'd be in even more trouble if she told them she'd just waltzed in uninvited. Portlyn's eyes widened in what Sonny imagined to be realization.

"_Chad_ let you in here, didn't he?"

Problem solved. That wasn't saying much though, now that there was a bigger problem staring her in the face.

"He... I-I..." Sonny knew she was sounding absolutely ridiculous, but she couldn't seem to will any words to come out of her mouth without stuttering.

"Oh, no need to explain, Sweetie. We know _all_ about what's happening between you and Chad." Sonny quivered a bit under the intense stare she was giving her. "You know..." Portlyn slowly approached her. "Chad was _mine_ first."

Sonny opened her mouth and closed it, thinking better of it. She wanted to remind Portlyn that no one _owned_ Chad, but she knew better than to provoke her at the moment. Instead, she smiled nervously and spoke up.

"Right... Well, listen... I'm just gonna get out of here, then..." Sonny looked down at the floor and headed for the door, but skid to a stop when one of Portlyn's castmates stepped in front of her. She closed her eyes and nervously bit her lip as the rest of the cast closed in on her, blocking any chance of an exit.

"Leaving so _soon_ Sonny?" Portlyn smirked at her. "But you just got here! Hang out a little longer, we should get to know each other a bit better."

Sonny felt a lump form in her throat at a sound behind her. She could swear it sounded like someone's knuckles cracking, but they wouldn't go _that_ far would they? All over a silly little relationship between her and Chad?

"Listen Portlyn, I'm sorry for coming in here, I-I'll just leave if you would let me--"

"Oh this is _much_ bigger than that," Portlyn interrupted. "This is about stealing Chad away, and more importantly ruining his reputation."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "Oh _please_, I can't believe that after working with Chad for so long, you'd _still_ believe all the stupid things in that article!"

"I'm not talking about the article. I'm talking about you making the star of Mackenzie Falls fall for a stupid little girl from So Random."

Sonny frowned, deciding to drop her 'nice girl' approach.

"Listen, I know _all_ about the stupid rivalry between our shows. And it's ridiculous! So our styles are different, big deal! Your show is still number one, and we're still just barely hitting second place. Are you taking this rivalry so _seriously _that you're going to try to ensure that me and Chad don't stay together?"

Portlyn smiled, much to Sonny's surprise. "You pick up on things fast, don't you?"

No sooner than Sonny realized what she was talking about had a fist connected with the side of her face, followed by one of the boys tackling her to the ground. Sonny wiggled around and struggled, but even with the girls standing back, she was still severely outnumbered. She clenched her jaw a little tighter with every blow, refusing to give them the satisfaction of showing any sign of weakness or pain. She desperately glanced at the door, wondering what was taking Chad so long. She realized he probably wasn't taking any longer than usual, but with the current situation, it felt like an eternity.

The last thing she remembered seeing before everything went black was the look of smug satisfaction on Portlyn's face.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Who's got center stage floor seats to Demi Lovato?? I do, baby!! I'm so excited I could do a little happy dance... Can't wait til July!

So I dunno guys, this feels like another filler chapter, as in this is my way of getting us to the next part of the story, but it's packed with Channy fluff, so I doubt I'll have too many complaints about that.

Just so you know before you read this chapter, I do NOT share Chad's views about High School Musical :P In face, the scenario Sonny describes between her and Lucy is actually an exact retelling of me and MyUntoldFairyTale's shenanigans... Speaking of which, go read her Channy stories, they're adorable. Pardon the shameless friend plug ;)

Enjoy!! Please leave a review!! I'll love you forever! ;)

---

_"I still don't understand how it happened..."_

_"Your guess is as good as mine..."_

Sonny's hearing faded in and out, picking up bits and pieces of the conversation happening around her. It was fuzzy, and although she could hear distinct words, she was having trouble concentrating and comprehending what they were saying.

_"Isn't it obvious? This is all Chad's fault!! He's the jerk that left her alone in there! He should have known this would happen to her!!"_

Hold on... They were talking abut _her_ Chad! They were making unfair accusations about him and she couldn't do a thing about it. At least not at the moment. Sonny shifted in her spot slightly, attempting to regain her eyesight.

_"I dunno Tawni... I _really_ doubt he did it on purpose."_

_"Yea, when we went in there, they were already gone. He was holding onto her really tight and wouldn't let anyone get anywhere close to them."_

_"Yea, it took all three of us to pry him off."_

Sonny could feel the blood rushing out of her head and the room finally came into focus, accompanied by a cold sweat. She looked up to see her castmates hovering over her.

A forced smile made it's way onto Tawni's face.

"Um, hey... How you feeling?"

Sonny made a face and turned her head away from her costar. Tawni was the last person on earth she wanted to talk to right now.

"What happened?" she muttered, rubbing her head.

"Apparently you got pounded," Nico answered. "When the Falls cast were headed back to their set looking a little more smug than usual, we figured something was up..."

Sonny held a hand to her forehead, remembering what happened. It all seemed to have taken place faster than she could react. This was her first opportunity, she realized, to actually take it all in.

"Where's Chad?" she mumbled.

Tawni made a face. "Does it matter? Those Mackenzie Falls jerks just clobbered you!!"

Sonny shook her head. "As a matter of fact it _does_ matter. He's probably worried and I hurt all over... I wanna talk to him."

Tawni rolled her eyes. "Forget about him for _two lousy seconds_, Sonny. It's not safe to just go walking back into their break room."

Much to everyone's surprise, Sonny began lifting herself off the couch. This seemed to be an extremely laborious task for her.

"Er, Sonny, what are you doing?" Grady asked, stepping a little closer in an effort to catch any falls she might make.

"If no one's going to bring Chad here, then I'm going to find him."

Tawni growled and grabbed Sonny's arm, pulling her back down on the couch. "Listen Sonny, I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry about this whole... _drama _ between us, but... This isn't me trying to keep you guys apart anymore. This is me not wanting you to get hurt again."

Sonny glowered at her. "Gee Tawni, I'd find that much easier to believe if you weren't the reason they slugged me to begin with."

She was surprised to see Tawni hang her head in response. "I just... Wanted you guys to break up. I didn't want you to get hurt..."

Sonny's expression softened a bit and she leaned forward to gently touch Tawni's arm. "I believe you..."

Tawni sniffled and looked up at her in disbelief. "W-What? You do? How _could_ you after all those things I said about you two?"

Sonny smiled weakly and shrugged. "You're my friend."

Tawni seemed to go through a range of expressions before leaning forward and cautiously pulling her friend into a hug. Sonny was genuinely shocked by this, but hugged back. Tawni nervously fiddled with the ends of her hair when they pulled apart.

"Look Sonny, this has officially gone way too far. I'd rather a So Random cast member date a Mackenzie Falls jerk than have all this drama spreading around."

Sonny smiled. "So first thing's first... We need to find a way to dispel all those nasty rumors... And then we need to convince our directors that it's okay for us to see each other."

Tawni nodded. "If I think of something, you'll be the first to know."

Sonny sat back, sighing in relief. "Thanks Tawni. Now, about talking to Chad?"

Zora popped out of her seat and made a dash for the door. "I'm on it!"

---

Sonny idly doodled in her notepad, desperately trying to think up a new idea for the show. Anything to get her mind off the pounding headache she still had.

She smirked and held back a giggle when she realized he was here. Zora's cries of "Everyone get out, let them be alone, move it!", hinted her to his arrival.

She sat up slightly and put her notebook to the side, turning to face him as he sat on the edge of the couch.

"Hey Cha-- _Oof_!" Sonny's greeting was cut off as Chad pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. She patted his back and felt him breathing heavily in her ear. Chad wasn't one to cry, so she imagined that was his way of showing he was upset. She didn't want to sound rude, but this hug was really starting to hurt.

"Erm, Chad? I'm still a little sore, so..."

Chad quickly let go and cleared his throat. "Sorry, Sonny..."

Sonny waved his comment off and rested her head on his shoulder. Chad moved out of the way, nearly making her fall over.

"Hey, what was that for?", she complained. Chad ignored her, pushing her bangs out of the way to get a better look at the bruise on her forehead.

"Where else are you hurt?", he muttered. Sonny shook her head.

"Don't worry about it Chad, I'll be fine." A small glare was all it took to get her to speak up. "Erm, I dunno... My arms hurt and my stomach sort of hurts, r-really I hurt all over, but..." Sonny continued stuttering as Chad rolled the sleeve up on one of her arms. He winced at the sight of the bruises and a few scratches that trailed from her wrist to her shoulder.

"Where did all these scratches come from?", he asked carefully, not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer to that question.

"Well one of the boys tackled me to the ground and I kinda scraped my arms across the floor..."

Chad let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. That was a much better scenario than he was imagining.

"Sonny, did your friends get you some ice or an aspirin or _something_ for all this?"

Sonny shrugged. "No... I just woke up though, so..."

Chad rolled his eyes, getting up and walking to the other side of the room, searching the drawers of the desk in the corner.

Sonny raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking for?"

"Got a first aid kit?", he asked shortly.

Sonny nodded. "Bottom drawer."

Chad leaned down to open the drawer, muttering angrily to himself the entire time. "Stupid Random's... There's a _reason_ I didn't want to let go... I _knew_ they wouldn't take care of her..."

Sonny chuckled slightly as she watched him storm his way over to the mini fridge in the corner to retrieve an ice pack. Chad stuck his tongue out in disgust as he pushed aside Sonny's lunchbox to get to it.

"High School Musical, Sonny? Really?" He asked, referring to her lunchbox, as he made his way back to the couch.

Sonny pouted. "Yes, High School Musical. It's a good movie."

Chad scoffed, gently placing the ice pack on her arm and tightening his grip on her when she winced in pain.

"I thought that movie was for little kids."

Sonny frowned. "Older people can like kid movies. Besides, Zac Efron's a cutie," she giggled, knowing it would push Chad's buttons.

He narrowed his eyes as he moved the ice to her other arm. "Precisely the reason he's banned from the Mackenzie Falls set."

Sonny giggled slightly but stopped abruptly when Chad lifted a bottle of rubbing alcohol out of the box.

"If you're thinking about putting that on those cuts, you've got another thing coming to you, Chad Dylan."

Chad rolled his eyes again, taking her arm. "Grow up, Sonny."

Sonny pouted but took a deep breath as he placed the small cotton ball on her arm. She cringed again and attempted to pull her arm back. Chad continued holding it in place.

"I know it hurts, just relax..."

Sonny sighed in aggravation.

"So... You like the Disney Channel, huh?" he asked idly, attempting to get her mind off the pain.

"Yea," she answered shortly, trying to stay focused on his words rather than the stinging sensation on her arm.

"What do you watch on there?"

"Erm... I dunno, I like Suite Life, sometimes I'll watch Hannah Montana... T-That sort of thing..."

Chad chuckled slightly. "You sound like the kind of person who stays up until midnight to see the first showing of High School Musical 3." Sonny didn't answer, opting to look awkwardly at the floor instead. He smirked. "You were at the midnight showing of High School Musical 3, weren't you?"

Sonny grimaced. "Me and Lucy were the crazy ones, first in line, wearing our EHS shirts and playing the soundtrack on our portable speaker." Chad bit his lower lip in an attempt to hold back uncontrollable laughter. Sonny frowned at him. "You're not helping the stinging, you know."

"Sorry," Chad managed through his snickering. "But guess what? I'm all done."

Sonny sighed in relief and gingerly pulled her sleeves back down. She groaned in irritation when a bottle of liquid tylenol was the next thing to come out.

Chad made a face. "This room is in serious need of an update; you're telling me you don't have any swallowable aspirin or tylenol in here?"

Sonny shook her head. "Nope. And for the record, I'd rather keep the headache."

Chad sighed again. "You're gonna be as high maintenance as possible with this, aren't you?"

"My friends didn't do anything because I didn't want them to."

"Well I'm not your friend then apparently. Take it.", he ordered, holding the cap to her. Sonny scrunched her face in disgust at the smell of the liquid drifting up to her nose. She took a deep breath and gulped it down as quickly as possible, making a dramatic face to go along with it. Chad patted her back.

"You'll feel better soon; promise."

Sonny smiled, hugging him close to her. "Thanks to you."

Chad smiled back a bit, but quickly stood back up. "Just had to get sappy, didn't you?", he teased. Sonny rolled her eyes with a smile as she laid her head back down on the couch. Chad grabbed a blanket off the arm rest and carefully laid it over her. He sat down next to her and ran his hand through her hair. Sonny sighed happily and looked up at him again.

"Why are you being so nice to me? Even since we started seeing each other you weren't ever quite _this_ nice..." Chad shrugged.

"You'd do the same for me."

Sonny closed her eyes contently, easily accepting his answer. She felt herself slowly drifting off again. Another weak smile came across her face as she felt his lips brush against her cheek, followed by him whispering.

"Sonny, you're a day brightener and a heart warmer."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I'm super sad because this story is quickly coming to an end. There are only two chapters after this one and they will be coming out fairly quickly; probably a day or two apart, as I know exactly what I want to happen in them. This will be the first multi-chapter story I've ever written to completion, so it's kinda bittersweet for me.

After this story is over I'm going to try and develop two one shot ideas I've been storing away for a while. One involving an interesting car ride when Chad takes Sonny to work one day, and another exploring how Sonny and Chad got each other's phone numbers in the show despite how much they drive each other crazy.

Those are just one-shot ideas though, so please, please, please, if there's a Channy concept you've been dying to see made into a multi-chapter story, review the chapter, tell me what ya thought, and let me know. I would love to do another one, but as of now, I'm drawing a blank on anything but one shots. So if there's anything you'd like to see, PLEASE please let me know. Credit will be given where credit is due.

As for this chapter, I know you are all dying to see Portlyn and her crew get their just desserts. It's getting there, I promise ;)

Please enjoy and review!

---

"Perspective."

The sound of someone speaking up made Chad nearly jump out of his skin. He guessed he hasn't realized how focused he was on watching Sonny sleep.

"I-- Pardon me?" Chad looked up, addressing the voice that spoke to him from the doorway.

Tawni.

"Perspective. It's a pretty big word for someone like you, I know," she muttered sarcastically. "Ever heard of it, though?"

Chad narrowed his eyes at her. "Pretty sure I've run into it once or twice, Tawni," he sneered, sending the sarcastic tone right back to her.

Tawni sighed heavily and walked in, sitting next to him.

"You're a jerk, Chad. You're self-centered, egotistical, and often times you just don't care what other people feel."

"Gee, thanks Tawni. This pep talk's really getting me pumped up."

Tawni rolled her eyes and placed a gentle hand on Chad's arm.

"And then something like _this_ happens."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

Tawni continued in a whisper that Chad strained to hear. "Like, the jerks from the Falls come and pound Sonny. And then you walk down the hall with your castmates trying to find her, only to find that her boyfriend's gotten to her already. Because when his girl is hurt, nothing slows him down. It takes minutes to pry him off her, and even that doesn't keep him away. Then you wait by the doorway while he speaks to her in a soothing tone and patches her up. Because she looks up at him like she needs him more than anything else. And suddenly people's true color's start showing."

Chad stared at Sonny's castmate in slight disbelief, unsure of how to fill the silence that hung in the air at the moment. Fortunately, Tawni did it for him.

"I guess it just... I dunno... Puts things in _perspective._"

Chad cautiously raised a hand and placed it on Tawni's shoulder. "You okay?"

Tawni grimaced slightly before answering. "I saw them..."

"Saw...? Who?"

"The Falls cast... Portlyn and her 'buddies'. The way she was smirking; the way she was _laughing_..." Tawni clenched her fists and looked down at her lap. "I know I get on Sonny's case a lot... But I would never want her to get hurt. She's... She's one of my only friends."

Chad sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The _last_ thing he wanted to do was feel sorry for Tawni.

'She deserves to feel lousy', he reminded himself. 'None of this would have happened, after all, if she'd just kept her mouth shut in the first place.'

"I already told Sonny, but I thought I'd let you know too... I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure your names get cleared."

Chad groaned in annoyance. "You're just like Sonny, you know that? When I want to get mad at you, I _can't_. You two are like, wired with some sort of... some sort of..."

"Charm?" Tawni offered. "Sonny gets that from you."

Chad let a small smile tug at his lips at this. "Thanks, Tawni," he said before staring back down at Sonny again. Tawni kept silent for a moment, observing the affectionate gaze he had on her. Sonny sighed in her sleep and crinkled her nose a bit. Tawni could see Chad's smile widen at this.

"...You really care about her, don't you?"

Chad nodded slightly, not looking up from Sonny. "She's my _world,_ Tawni... She's... _everything_ to me."

Tawni smirked a bit at Chad's momentary sign of weakness. Noticing he'd let his guard down, he cleared his throat and straightened his tie.

"Well I mean, you know... She couldn't live without me," he bragged with one of his famous smirks. Tawni shook her head.

"You really _are_ a jerk. But you're a jerk that cares about her. And as her friend, I guess I have to approve."

Chad smiled again, slumping farther down in his seat. "I guess I should take her home..."

Tawni stood up as Chad slid his hands underneath Sonny and lifted her from the couch. "Need any help out?"

Chad winked at her. "I think I can handle it, thanks."

Tawni folded her arms and shook her head as she watched him leave.

Yes, he certainly was a jerk.

But no one deserved Sonny more.

---

Sonny blinked a few times, sighing contently as she took in her surroundings. She panicked slightly when she realized Chad wasn't sitting next to her.

Realizing she was in her room, she sat up and looked around frantically, wondering if he was still here. She jumped slightly when the doorknob turned and her mother walked in.

"I thought I heard you," she said with a smile, walking over to sit on the edge of Sonny's bed. "How are you feeling?"

Sonny stretched her arms above her head. "A little better... Still feeling a little crummy, but definitely a lot better..." Then she frowned. "How'd I get here?"

Her mother beamed, much to Sonny's surprise. " Oh Sonny, it was the _sweetest_ little thing... Your little friend, Chad? He got you all fixed up at the studio. He brought you back here and tucked you into your bed and even waited out in the living room until I got home."

Sonny's cheeks burned in embarrassment. "_Moooom_...." She muttered. She smirked shortly afterwards. "Are you telling me that jerk went through my purse to get my house key?"

Her mother laughed. "I would _hope_ you didn't have anything to hide."

"Only the Mackenzie Falls desktop on my cellphone," Sonny answered, smiling. There was a slight pause before Sonny spoke up again. "Are you alright?"

She quickly shook her daughter's question off. "I wouldn't have been, had Chad not been there. Trust me, the moment he told me what happened to you, I was ready to pull you from the show altogether." Sonny frowned. "Then I heard what good care he took of you, and I knew you were in good hands"

At this, Sonny sighed in relief. "Thanks, Mom... I mean it, that means a lot to me." Sonny leaned forward and hugged her.

She gently patted Sonny's back. "Aww, Sweetie... All I _ever_ do is for you," she said, lifting Sonny's chin. "Things have a funny way of working themselves out. Who cares what silly rumors those magazines are spreading? You do what your heart tells you is right."

Her mother smiled, patting her head before standing up. She stopped at the doorway and turned her head to her one last time.

"He wanted me to ask you to call him when you wake up."

Sonny giggled slightly as she watched her leave, and reached over to the nightstand to grab her cellphone, hitting the speed dial.

"_CDC here._"

Sonny rolled her eyes, but held back the urge to laugh. "Really, Chad?"

"_Oh, it's just you..."_

"Nice," Sonny giggled.

"_How are you feeling?_", he asked.

"Much better, thanks to you once again. Mom said you wanted me to call?"

She couldn't see him, but judging by the tone of his voice, she just _knew _he was smirking.

"_What do you say we get a little payback at the falls_?"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** One more chapter to go after this, peeps :( I'm still open to ideas if anyone's been dying to see a Channy concept put into motion, please let me know.

I had a hard time with this chapter. For some reason my writing style felt a bit off on this one, and on top of that, I was concerned that this chapter got a little too mean. But keeping in mind the T rating of this story, my beta's opinions, and the horrible things Portlyn and her friends did to deserve it, I went ahead and gave it a shot. Next chapter I hope to have my writing vibe back, but... I dunno. Tell me what you think.

Please review, it'll get the last chapter out quicker, I promise ;) Enjoy.

---

"Mmm, not good enough. Try and think of something _really_ sad, maybe that'll help..."

"Sonny, I've been acting since I was two. I think I know how to look upset."

Sonny frowned and began running her hands through Chad's hair. "Your hair is too straight; maybe this'll help. It needs to look like you were up all night."

"Woah, woah, _woah_," Chad grabbed Sonny's wrist and yanked it away from his head. "_No one_, not even my Sonny, touches the hair."

Sonny folded her arms. "Chad, they are _not_ going to go for this unless we make it completely believable. Now hold still."

Chad groaned in annoyance as Sonny continued ruffling his hair until she was satisfied. She looked him up and down for a moment before loosening his tie a bit.

"There... that should do it."

"You're gonna make someone a _scary_ wife someday, you know that?"

Sonny only smiled and kissed his cheek. "Here, don't lose it," she instructed as she handed him a photoshopped copy of a magazine.

"Are you sure this thing looks real?" Chad asked skeptically as he turned it over in his hands.

"It does, trust me. Mom's been working with computers forever... I showed it to Tawni too, she said you can't even tell the difference."

"Okay, but... I haven't fake cried in a _long_ time, Sonny; what if they find out what we're up to right away?"

Sonny rolled her eyes. "This was _your_ idea! You spent all night talking me into it because I thought it was too mean, remember?"

"Yea well, now that we're about to _do_ it, I'm realizing there's a million things that can go wrong."

Sonny shook her head and put her hands on his shoulders standing on her toes and planting a deep kiss on his lips.

Chad sighed and stroked her cheek. "I hate you."

Sonny just giggled as she watched him turn around and walk towards his set.

---

Portlyn looked up as she heard the door to the Mackenzie Falls break room open. She grinned and waved him over.

"Chaaaad!"

Chad ignored her, instead shuffling uncharacteristically slowly towards the couch. His demeanor resembled that of a zombie; lethargic and emotionless. Portlyn raised an eyebrow and got up from her spot, plopping herself down on the cushion next to him.

"Morning, Cutie!"

No response. Portlyn frowned and whacked him on the arm. "Um, helloooo? I'm talking to you!"

Chad shut his eyes and shook his head. "Portlyn, please...", he whispered. "I'm not in the mood..."

Portlyn tilted her head and scooted closer to him. "What's the matter?"

Chad inhaled deeply, clutching the rolled up magazine in his hands.

"It's... It's Sonny..." Chad made what he hoped was a convincing crack in his voice.

Portlyn sighed in relief. "Oh, her? She's fine."

"No..." Chad shook his head. "No she's not... I don't know what happened or who did this to her... I left her alone in here for a few minutes and came back to find her on the floor... God, I'm such an idiot; I should've taken her with me..."

Portlyn scoffed and patted his shoulder. "Trust me, she's fine. I was there. She heard us coming and tripped... Knocked her head on the end table and passed out. We were going to find help, but someone had already left with her by the time we got back," she assured him.

Chad bit his lip, hoping he didn't look angry at the fact that she was blatantly lying to his face.

"Gee Portlyn... That sounds like a pretty outlandish scenario."

If Portlyn was under any pressure by his accusation, she certainly didn't show it. She seemed to be just as good an actor as Chad was. "Well it's not. I saw it happen. I'm sure she woke up soon after."

Chad blinked a few times, desperately willing tears to form in his eyes. It was a lot harder than he remembered. "N-No, Portlyn..."

'_Not convincing enough!!'_ he told himself. '_Think of something sad! Mom and Dad missing your last birthday, shooting the season finale, Sonny breaking up with you, SOMETHING!!_'

Portlyn seemed confused as he stared forward. He hoped it looked like he was just trying to compose himself.

Finally, just in the nick of time, a stray tear managed to escape his eye. He disguised a sigh of relief by looking down and putting his face in his hands.

"Chad? Chaaad? Helloooo?" Portlyn poked his shoulder until he looked up at her. His eyes were red and puffy, mostly from his excessive blinking. "Chad... What's got you so upset, what's going on?"

Chad sniffled slightly. "Thing is... I-I'm not sure I can believe you, Porty. Because... Sonny's friends found her... And they said she was in such bad shape they had to rush her to the hospital."

Portlyn suddenly looked nervous. She glanced over at her fellow castmates, who looked equally as nervous. "...T-They did? W-Well I'm sure they were just being careful. A-After all, she was perfectly fine when we went to get help... I-It was just a little fainting spell... She's fine..."

"Portlyn... she's _gone_."

"_**WHAT**__?!", _came the collective response from the cast.

Chad buried his face in his arms and made several sobbing and heaving noises as he spoke. "I was up all night with her. She just... Never woke up."

Portlyn bit her lower lip, looking completely horrified, before she shook her head.

"Not uh. No way. You're bluffing... She's _fine_! It was just a stupid punch-- er... blow to the head!! That's not possible!!"

Chad smirked as he kept his face buried in his arms, but let out another dramatic choke. "It's called 'blunt force trauma to the head', Porty. It musta been one heck of a fall, because she didn't survive it."

Portlyn's eyes widened dramatically, but she refused to buy it. "No... There's not a _chance_ that's true."

Chad inhaled before handing her the magazine in his hands. "Read for yourself."

Portlyn snatched the magazine out of his hands, scanning until she reached the article Chad was referring to.

"_So Random's Sonny Munroe, 15, was pronounced dead this morning after being rushed to the hospital by the show's cast." _

Portlyn's eyes nearly popped out of her head, but Chad was certain they actually _did_ pop when she reached the last line of the article.

"_Investigation is pending on Mackenzie Falls' Portlyn James, who was found leaving the scene._"

"What?!" Portlyn dropped the magazine out of her hands. "That's... this is ridiculous... This is insane!!"

"Insane?!" One of the boys snatched the magazine up. "Portlyn, you _killed her_!!"

"Me?! You were the ones that pounded her!!"

"We only did it because you told us to!!"

"Hold the phone, guys..." Chad interrupted, trying to look more surprised than accusatory. "What are you talking about? I thought you said she fell?"

Portlyn sat back down next to him, shaking all over. "Okay... Okay, we... We pounded her, alright? But... But we just wanted her to stay away from you! We weren't trying to _kill_ her, I swear!"

Chad wiped his eyes and his expression softened. "Portlyn... I don't believe it..."

Portlyn tightened her grip on his arm. "_Chad_, we weren't trying to kill her, I swear!! It was just supposed to knock her out for a little bit!!"

Chad clenched his fists slightly, holding back an outburst. It was clear Sonny's life wasn't a priority here; it was the fact that she was going to get in trouble for inadvertently taking it. He took a deep breath, sticking to the plan he'd set out.

"Okay Portlyn... It's alright, I know it was an accident," he said, patting her back. "I'll help you so you don't get in trouble."

Portlyn looked up at him. "How?"

"Well I dunno... You're going to have to leave Hollywood for good. Maybe change your name... We'll probably have to shave your head so no one recognizes you." Chad bit his lower lip to hold back a laugh as Portlyn put a hand on her head in horror. "I think I know just the person to help you too."

Portlyn, clearly misunderstanding him, clung tightly to his arm. "Thank you Chad; thank you, thank you, thank you!! I'm sorry for what I did, I swear, just _help_."

Chad shook his head. "Oh, I'm not going to help you..."

A tap on Portlyn's shoulder nearly made her fall off the couch in fear, and she turned around to see who was trying to get her attention.

She went completely pale at the sight of Sonny. Momentarily thinking she'd gone insane, Portlyn jumped from her spot and clung tightly to Chad, letting out a quick shriek.

Sonny giggled and wiggled her fingers. "Pooooortlyn, I've come to haaaaunt you," she teased.

Portlyn took a moment and caught her breath before glaring at her, realizing she'd been tricked.

"You..."

Sonny shrugged. "A little bruised, but fine. And you?"

Portlyn stood up and approached her. "_You_..."

Chad held back the urge to get between them and protect Sonny, knowing she had things under control.

"_You,_" Sonny responded, "Might want to take a few deep breaths before you do anything," She held up the camera in her hands for emphasis. "Or I'll make sure every tabloid from here to New York gets a load of this."

Portlyn balled her fists and shook with rage. "Name your price."

Sonny shrugged again. "Nothing to steep. You let me and Chad do what we want and keep to your own business and everything'll be fine."

Portlyn folded her arms and sneered. "Not a chance."

"I-I dunno Portlyn," one of her friends spoke up, "I-It was never supposed to go _this_ far--"

"Shut up!", she snapped, stomping her foot. "Fine then. You sit around here and brag about how you won this round. I have more important things to do. There are _plenty_ of other ways to get a guy, believe me. This isn't over, Munroe." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed for the exit.

She didn't get far when she opened the door, only to have the commissary's leftover mystery meat casserole pour down on her head.

Chad's jaw nearly dropped as he shifted his gaze from the bucket to the girl standing outside, facing Portlyn.

Tawni.

She smirked and waved as Portlyn stormed down the hall, several of her castmates following, not wanting to stick around for anything else Sonny and Chad could possibly have in store.

Sonny smiled a bit as Tawni walked in.

"T-Tawni... I thought I told you we had the revenge thing all taken care of?"

Tawni shrugged, dropping something on the table in front of them. "Maybe I didn't have a whole lot of faith in your plan."

Sonny grinned up at her friend. "Thanks Tawni..."

Tawni waved her hand as she left the room. "Yea, yea. Don't get used to it!", she called over her shoulder.

Sonny shook her head, looking down at the magazine on the table. "Look... Tawni left this here," she said. Chad sat down next to her and leaned over to read over her shoulder.

She grabbed it and opened it to the page marked by a sticky note. She searched the page, pausing at an article that was circled with red marker.

"_**Anonymous Source Speaks Out**_

_So Random's Tawni Hart has come forward as the 'anonymous source' that claimed Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper were allegedly found drinking and leaving a club, among other accusations. She told us the rumors were in poor taste and expressed her remorse for the situation._

_'I did something really horrible,' she tells us. 'I hope that coming clean and honest with everyone will convince them to forgive me. Sonny and Chad are great people, no matter what anyone says, and they deserve the chance to be together again.' She smiles as she continues, 'Real love like they have doesn't come around too often. I'm not gonna be the one who causes them to miss that opportunity.'_

_-Tween Weekly, Hollywood, CA"_

Sonny sniffed and leaned her head on Chad's shoulder as she picked up the note that marked the page, reading the hand written words on it.

"_Read this article. I'm sorry. -Tawni"_


End file.
